Author: straightnewsng.com

The House of Representatives has passed a bill into law to abolish the existing dichotomy between Higher National Diploma, HND, awarded by polytechnics and the Bachelor of Science, B.Sc degree by universities in the country. The bill was passed during Tuesday’s plenary. The legislation, which was sponsored by Ali Isa and Edward Pwajok from Gombe and Plateau States respectively, passed a second reading in April 2017. It seeks to end perceived discrimination against polytechnic graduates and remove the challenges facing HND holders, especially those in the public service. Leading the debate for the bill to pass second reading, Pwajok said…

The Nigerian Government has declared May 29 and June 12 as public holidays. May 29 is meant for the inauguration of new governments at the Federal and state levels while June 12 is to celebrate Democracy Day. The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, who made the announcement during a press conference in Abuja on Monday, said most of the activities formerly held on May 29 as Democracy Day would now hold on June 12. He added that the events slated for May 29 would be low key as foreign dignitaries would only be invited to attend the June 12 events.…

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has petitioned President Muhmmadu Buhari over the released guidelines by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) on granting financial autonomy to local governments. The NGF in a letter signed by Chairman and Governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, expressed “dismay and angst” over NFIU action as attempt to dabble into a matter that was beyond its mandate. Yari accused the NFIU of “stoking mischief and also deliberately seeking to cause disaffection, chaos and overheat the polity”. The NFIU, which was excised from the Economic and Financial Crimes…

Nigerian winger, Henry Onyekuru, scored the winning goal in a title decider against Istanbul Basaksehir helping Galatasaray to the league title. The 21-year-old scored a header in the second half in what turned out to be a 2-1 win at the Turk Telekom Arena. The win gave Galatasaray a three-point lead over Basaksehir with a game to go but the Istanbul side won the title by virtue of their superior head to head advantage. Onyekuru celebrated the title in a tweet on Sunday: “Champions. We fought back from 1-0 in a very tough game. I am so blessed to have…

The 41 year-old TV comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskiy,  who won Ukraine’s elections last month, was sworn in as president on Monday and immediately said he was dissolving the country’s parliament to hold early elections. At the inauguration ceremony held in the parliament’s building in Kiev, Jewish Zelenskiy pledged to seek an end to the war with Russia in Ukraine’s east and told lawmakers he wanted them to pass legislation to root out corruption. Zelenskiy  won a landslide election in late April with 73 per cent of the vote, defeating the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko as he rode a wave of popular…

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it has withdrawn 25 certificates of return issued to some candidates who won the 2019 General Elections. The Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mr Festus Okoye, who stated this at a “Forum on Media Coverage of 2019 General Elections” held in Enugu on Monday, said the commission complied with court order. Okoye noted that 20 of the 25 certificates-of-return were withdrawn from All Progressives Congress, APC, members to other APC members; while two from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members were withdrawn to other PDP members. He said that the other…

Of the N330 billion fine imposed on MTN Nigeria Communications Limited in August 2015 by the Nigerian Communications Commission, the mobile telecommunications operator has paid a total of N235 billion to the Federal Government. Executive Vice Chairman at NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, confirmed this in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Monday on the side-lines of a valedictory press briefing by Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu. Danbatta said emanating from the major industry dispute, Nigerians now have the opportunity to own part of the mobile telecommunications network following the public listing of the company at the Nigeria Stock…

A three-legged dog has sniffed out and led residents of a farming community to rescue an infant that was buried and left to die by its 15-year-old mother. The incident happened in Korat’s Tha Talat community in Thailand last Wednesday, and was reported by major local media. Eyewitnesses said the newborn had been buried in a cassava field, but nobody was aware. However, farmers noticed the dog sniffing around one spot, and they went ahead to dig out what was there and were surprised to dig out a living infant. Police soon apprehended a 15-year-old girl who has since been charged…

Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 to win a ninth Italian Open title and a record 34rd Masters crown on Sunday. World number one Djokovic, winner at the Madrid Open last week, produced an error-strewn performance in his 54th meeting with second-ranked Nadal. Nadal overtakes Djokovic at the top of the list for Masters wins — the pair were level at 33 each before Sunday’s final — in a timely boost ahead of his assault on a 12th French Open crown in a week’s time. The Spaniard, who had shared the record of 33 Masters titles with the…

The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, on Sunday gave hints of the requirements for appointments into the State Executive Council in his second term. Emmanuel who was speaking during a worship service today at Full Life Christian Centre, in Uyo, said that his appointees must have capacity and a proof of investments in any form of Agriculture in line with his wealth and food creation agenda. The Governor who stated that he owns a farm even as the leader in the state, noted that none of his aides should have an excuse for not doing same. “I…